Getting To Know Your International Contact. Part 2

For this assignment I am exploring  "Global Children's Initiative"  website:(http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/).

The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (NSCDC) is a science based framework of  multidisciplinary collaborations of leading scientists like neurocientists, developmental psychologists, pediatricians, and economics that share critical reviews about "What we know about development in the early childhood years. There mission statement is to bring sound and accurate science bear on  public-making affecting the lives of young children. Established in 2003, the Council is committed to an evidence-based approach to building broad-based public will that transcends political partisanship and recognizes the complementary responsibilities of family, community, workplace, and government to promote the well-being of all young children. NSCDC has created a series of publications to marry the science of early childhood and brain development with state-of-the-art communications research designed to effectively translate that knowledge for non-scientific audiences. There publications consists of reports, working papers, briefs, multimedia interactive features, and videos that you can log into and read about. Some of there major support have been provided by: the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, the Buffet Early Childhood Fund, Casey Family Programs, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Norlien Foundation, and the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Some goals and strategies of the council are:

1. Bringing credible and accurate knowledge to bear on public decision-making that affects children’s learning, behavior, and health.
2. Rethinking the challenge of knowledge translation in order to strengthen its impact on the lives of children.
3. Building broad-based and informed leadership to represent the interests of young children in the public and private sectors.
4. Promoting a new national dialogue focused on rethinking the meaning of both shared responsibility for children and strategic investment in their future.

Another interesting fact about the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child is the Center's  Global Children's Initives, which has begun to build a portfolio of activities in the three Domain's early childhood development; mental health; and children in crisis and conflict situations. Each of these domains is being guided by a faculty working group that will facilitate continuing cross-disciplinary collaboration; design and implement new projects; and engage additional faculty, students, and collaborators beyond the Harvard community. The initial set of activities currently being developed is outlined below.

1. Refraining the discourse around child health and development
2. Supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects
3. Building leadership capacity in child development research and policy—

Each of these domains is being guided by a designated faculty working group that will facilitate continuing cross-disciplinary collaboration; design and implement new projects; and engage additional faculty, students, and collaborators beyond the Harvard community. Last of all the center provides  a variety of formal and informal learning opportunities for students, including courses, graduate research fellowships, lectures, events, and research assistant opportunities. You can also receive the centers latest  email newsletters and other up coming announcements and follow the center Developing Child on Twitter for the ones who love to network.

Sharing Web Resources 2.

In The National Council of Educating Black Children (NCEBC) have several great components to its website. One of the resources that really caught my eye was "Touching The Spirit" teaching workshops. You remember the old African American proverb saying? "It takes a village to raise a child" it also takes a village of professionals to take responsibility in attaining the necessary tools to help effective teachers achieve goals by designing  a curriculum that will educate, and encourage excellence through culturally relevant teaching strategies. In these workshops teachers will successfully learn about their student's history, culture, language, background knowledge, and experience which will help professionals develop learning activities that will engage their students interest and involvement.  Touching the Spirit framework includes 14 components the components are:

• Ritual (Affirmation/performances)
• Rhythm (Music, speech and movement)
• Recitation (Memorization)
• Repetition
• Relationships
• Expectations of Excellence
• Continual Search for Patterns
• Insistence on Working Toward Mastery
• Teacher Modeling of Skills and Processes
• Intensive Direct Instruction and Practice
• Study of African Deep Thought
• Focus on Discourse, Inquiry, and Creative and Symbolic Thinking
• Using Knowledge for Social Criticism and Community Action
• In-Depth Study and Performance of African and African American Culture

The National Council on Educating Black Children from Garry Holland on Vimeo. on The Call for action talks about how all children can learn and as a society it is up to us to speak out on the quality of education and how African American children living low economic ereas are struggling because of their circumstances that they growing up in. One issue that really caught my attention in this video they interviewed a black girl and boy and they were asked, "which doll was nice and which doll was  mean?" Both children picked the white doll to be nicer and the black doll mean. I thought that was so said that these children living in low economic areas are subject to violence, drugs, crime, single parent homes, bad living conditions, sickness, a school system that have given up on them. African American children experience the highest drop out rate, kicked out of school, jail and one of the biggest issues African American male not finishing school or even going on to higher education.

The information on this website that gives me a better understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field. In their research is the “Blueprint for Action” which  provides a framework for collaborative community partnerships with public school, community, parents, and other African American organizations  to solve problems and accelerate achievement for all children, especially African American  children in particular to making sure that the villiage takes responsibility for developing a plan to improve the educational achievement of  all  children.

One resource on the website in particular The Literacy Center which are being established in various cities to enhance the instruction provided by public and charter schools to those students who are classified as a high risk for academic failure.  So far the NCEBC's National Literacy Center program operates seven literacy centers in Indiana, including four in Indianapolis' disadvantaged neighborhoods. It plans to open 20 in designated areas across the state in an aggressive effort to support school initiatives that increase literacy skills. The  NCEBC will provide the curriculum, staff development, books and materials. and each child enrolled receives three books a year. This program will be a big addition to our society if incorporated in all states not just for African American but available for any child that is in need to increase their literacy skills.

Resources:
National Council of Educating Black Children (NCEBC)
ncebc.org

Sharing Web Resources 2.

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?
Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?
What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?
What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 1

The three insights I gained from studying the website http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/ on India
.
1. India is the home of majority of poor people in South Asia. India ha made many efforts to alleviate poverty by increasing economic growth, including liberalization of the economy, and targeted programmes.

2. India have the highest rates of communicable diseases, malnutrition, and maternal and perinatal illness, predominatly amongst poor people. Childhood poverty in India about 62 million under age five are malnurished about 34% of new borns are really underweight and atleast 20% of children out of school.

3. India have the largest amount of children working in the world and atleast a third of children below 16 working. Gender bias continues in India with girls which limits girls life chances. the high maternal mortality rate, the neglect of the girl child, the declining sex ratio, and girl's lower rates of school enrolment and subsequent higher participation in the child labour force. Between 1995 - 1999 the gross enrolment ratio for females as a percentage of male was 83% for primary school and 66% for secondary school.

Sharing Web Resources

 Professional website I chose, the National Council on Educating Black (www.ncebc.org)Children (NCEBC).  Is a non-profit and civil rights organization that focus on improving educational opportunities and their way of life for African American children. One issue that I really  caught my attention was the suggested "Blueprint for Action" for African American male children. This is issue really caught my attention because I have A older son and my younger son and every day I try to talk to them the importance of education and the importance of not following into society stereotype black men. That they don't take care of their children, uneducated,and in and out of jail. This troubling situation calls for aggressive action by educators to come up with effective strategies and solutions  for helping to empower young African American males for optimal educational achievement and social success. This website also provide information on the history of NCEBC, future events, resources, and programs that are offered to African American children and families.

Exapanding Resources

Expanding Resources

I am looking forward to expanding my resources and sharing information with other professionals in other countries. To begin my search for new contacts, I researched the UNICEF website. I chose to research Africa, Nigeria and Europe Bulgarian.  As a result, I sent email messages to the UNICEF representatives for both countries. I hope I receive a reply but so far I haven't.

Regarding the professional website I chose, I researched the National Council on Educating Black (www.ncebc.org)Children (NCEBC).  This affiliated chapter is made up of people who actively care bout the well-being of Black Children. Their mission statement is improving and protecting the quality of life for African Amercan children and families. NCEBC was founded by a Harvard professor (Dr. Ron Edmonds) because many people assume poor African children cannot learn. "He knew, as we all know, that is simply not true. " I chose this website because for me I want to be able to help all children but first I must learn the ends and out and what best way to learn is through my own culture.